Itasca County and Chippewa National Forest Birding
Alder Road is located southwest of Marcell. It can be accessed via CR 262 or CR 48. This road cuts through lots of woods, bogs, sedge meadow, and crosses a couple of rivers. The habitat is good for winter finches, owls, and woodpeckers. During the warm months, birds like Sedge Wrens are common. The best-known spot on this road is consistent for Boreal Chickadees and is described on the “Species specific locations” page of this site. There are probably Connecticut Warblers and Olive-sided Flycatchers here in the summer as well. I have found Black-billed Cuckoos near the Bowstring River bridge on Alder Rd and less than a ½ mile downstream from the bridge I have found Olive-sided Flycatchers while canoeing. If you are birding Alder Road from south to north, you may as well continue in the good habitat by continuing past 243 and 262, at which point you’ll be on Mac Road until you reach Hwy 6.